Is Sainsbury's Moroccan style couscous ultra-processed?

Durum wheat semolinas for couscous Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E440 Pectins

32 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed durum wheat semolinas for couscous

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Couscous 31% (Durum Wheat Semolina), Water, Chickpeas 13%, Sugar (processing marker), Raisins, Rapeseed Oil, Apricots 3% (Apricots, Rice Flour, Preservative (processing marker)), Cranberries, Red Wine Vinegar, Parsley, Salt (processing marker), Lemon Juice, Honey (processing marker), Coriander, Tomato Purée, Spices, Black Pepper, Garlic Purée, Ginger, Red Chilli, Cornflour, Cinnamon Powder, Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Mustard Seeds, Cumin, Cardamom, Coriander, Pectin (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E220 Sulphur dioxide , E440 Pectins

As written on the pack

Couscous (31%) (Durum Wheat Semolina), Water, Chickpeas (13%), Sugar, Raisins, Rapeseed Oil, Apricots (3%) (Apricots, Rice Flour, Preservative: Sulphur Dioxide), Cranberries, Red Wine Vinegar, Parsley, Salt, Lemon Juice, Honey, Coriander, Tomato Purée, Spices, Black Pepper, Garlic Purée, Ginger Purée, Red Chilli, Cornflour, Cinnamon Powder, Sunflower Oil, Mustard Seeds, Cumin Powder, Cardamom, Coriander Powder, Stabiliser: Pectin.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.

6 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 25 durum wheat semolinas for couscous

From least to most processed, this one ranks 18th. 36% of the durum wheat semolinas for couscous here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 25 durum wheat semolinas for couscous, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 01196573, last edited 20 August 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.